Wild Things | Newsletter

Welcome to the Wild Things Newsletter

This page will be updated often

with news and information for Educators,

Nannies, and Families.

Two little feet go stamp, stamp, stamp stamp Two little hands go clap, clap, clap clap One little body stands up straight stand straight One little body goes round and round turn One little body sits quietly down. Sit

Book Corner Where's the Gold? - Pamela Allen Jeremy, Bellamy and Ted are three pirates brave and bold. Well... mostly. When they set out to find gold it's a nerve-wracking adventure, taking them deep underground, into the dark and the damp. Their green parrot comes along too, screeching loudly as they shlosh and shiver, claw and clamber. But what's that at the end of the tunnel? Something scary! Something big and black and very hairy! Back they run as fast as they can... and what do they discover? The gold was right there waiting to be found all along! If you want the rainbow you have to put up with the rain." -Unknown

Salt Ceramic Playdough This is excellent for making Christmas decorations and necklaces and great for painting as it is white so colours come up nice and bright. 1.5 cups of salt 3/4 cup cornflour 1 cup water Mix together in pot then cook over a low heat - stirring until becomes solid - turn out and knead immediately. Leave 36 -48 hours to harden or bake at a very low heat. If making decorations make holes with a straw whilst soft. This is a great rainy day activity

Rainy Day Games Sock Toss Game Toss rolled Socks into a laundry basket or bucket. Move the starting line further back as their aim improves. Hide and seek Hide a few favourite toys around the room and get the children to find them, or give them pictures of the items they have to find, and match them up. Magic blanket time A great activity to bring out on rainy days. Shake a blanket and say "magic blanket time." Spend the time having a picnic lunch, a snack, reading a story, playing a game or doing a puzzle together.

Dunedin Library

Come and join us every Wednesday 10:30a.m - 11.00a.m at the storypit Dunedin City Library Moray Place for:

Tips for managing fussy eaters

Introduce new foods alongside an old favourite
Get children involved in choosing their foods. For example choosing between apples or carrot sticks for snacks.
Avoid offering any snacks within the hour before the meal. Alternatively offer some of the dinner vegetables as a pre-dinner snack.
Make meal times pleasant. No threats, no battles. Focus on the kids, not on what they're not eating.
Change the venue - try something new at a "picnic" in the living room or a "tea party" in the kitchen.
Ensure between-meal snacks include healthy food - sugary snacks as lollies, muesli bars, dried fruit leathers and sweet biscuits can decrease a child's appetite markedly.
Look carefully at the milk and fruit drink intake of fussy eaters. Milk is a great food but can curb the appetite for solid food. After one year, a milk intake of 600mls is adequate. Fruit drinks and cordials have a high natural or added sugar content which can affect appetite. Offer water as a drink rather than fruit drinks.

It's Time To Clean up (Tune: Frere Jacques) Are you helping, are you helping Pick up toys, Pick up toys Let us all be helpers, Let us all be helpers. Girls and boys, girls and boys.

Parenting Corner: Bad-mood changers

A few ideas worth a try to avert a tantrum, or to stop a bad situation getting worse:

A bath - even a kid reluctant at first usually winds down with toys, splashes and homemade squirters in the bath
Safe water play of any sort - splash in the sink or bath or on hot days - let them play with the hose
Food - often kids who are grumpy haven't had enough carbohydrates (try rice with vege bits, mashed taters, even a sandwich, but not sugar)
Water - a dehydrated child os a tired child
Take them outside - even rugged up and waterproof
A favourite video or book
A favourite music CD
Put the music on and pick up your kids and dance
A massage
Respect their mood - you're not nice all the time so why should they be?
Suggest they play in their room until they're in a better mood - not as a punishment but as a way for them to have a play and eventually snap out of it - Quiet time
Talk in funny voices and accents, walk like a giant, skip like a fairy.